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Turkiye must be 'included' in Europe security structures: Erdogan ahead of Nato summit
Dawn • • world
Key Points:
- President Recep Tayyip Erdogan emphasized that Turkiye must be included in all of Europe’s defence and security structures ahead of the NATO summit in Ankara on July 7-8.
- Erdogan highlighted Turkiye’s significant contributions to European security and called for participation in all defence initiatives, including access to the EU’s 150-billion-euro Security Action for Europe (Safe) initiative, which Greece has threatened to block.
- He urged NATO to remove barriers to defence industry trade among member states and called for balanced burden-sharing, noting Turkiye’s large army and growing defence industry despite US sanctions.
- US sanctions, imposed due to Turkiye’s purchase of the Russian S-400 missile system, have strained relations and blocked Turkiye’s access to US F-35 fighter jets and related technology, with Congressional approval needed to lift these sanctions.
- US President Donald Trump indicated he might offer Erdogan a positive gesture at the summit, possibly delivering US-made F110 engines critical for Turkiye’s KAAN fighter jet development, currently blocked by sanctions.
